Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for potentially debilitating diseases such as cardiovascular disease and stroke, and is the leading cause of blindness, renal failure and lower limb amputations in adults. Type 2 or noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus accounts for over ninety percent of all diabetes cases. Although current treatments for type 2 diabetes result in lower levels of blood sugar, side effects include weight gain, hyperglycemia, edema, and liver toxicity. Obesity, a condition that is often strongly correlated with diabetes further complicates treatment options. In particular, obesity further exacerbates the insulin resistance that is a hallmark of diabetes so that current treatments for diabetes typically lose their efficacy after a few years. As a result, a need exists for new and improved methods for treating diabetes and/or its associated complications.